Walsh believes that the current aircraft has the ability to deal with heat-seeking missiles, which pose a threat during takeoff and landing.
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any US Air Force aircraft used to transport the President of the United States. Currently, the term serves as a description for specific aircraft that are designed, built, and used specifically for the transport of the Commander-in-Chief.
From 1990 to the present, the name Air Force One has referred to two specially equipped Boeing 747-200B airplanes with the military designation VC-25A. Both aircraft have the codes 28000 and 29000 on their tails.
The call sign of the presidential aircraft was created for security after an incident in 1953. During that flight, a Lockheed Constellation named Columbine II, with President Dwight D. Eisenhower on board, entered the same airspace as an Eastern Air Lines flight.
The President’s aircraft and the commercial aircraft used the same flight number, which led to confusion. After this incident, it was decided to use the unique call sign “Air Force One” for the President’s aircraft.
The President of the United States must be able to go anywhere in the world at any time. The first president who began to fly in an aircraft while in office was Franklin Roosevelt.
During the Second World War, he traveled on Dixie Clipper, a Pan Am-crewed Boeing 314 flying boat. In 1943, Roosevelt flew a distance of 5,500 miles (8,890 km) to attend a conference in Casablanca.
US Army Air Forces commanders were doubtful about the security of the president while traveling on commercial airliners. For this reason, it was decided to remake a military aircraft and improve it to the needs of the Commander-in-Chief.
The first specialized presidential aircraft was made in 1943 and was based on the C-87A VIP transport aircraft. This plane was used for international flights and in fact was the first Air Force One.
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However, soon after the revision of its safety characteristics, the aircraft was used to transport high-ranking members of the Roosevelt administration rather than the president. The Secret Service replaced his plane with a more modern Douglas C-54 Skymaster.
Nowadays, Air Force One is easily recognized by its painted American flag, the words “United States of America,” and the Seal of the President of the United States. It is a symbol of the US presidency and the US government.
Air Force One has the ability to refuel in the air, giving it an unlimited range. It is able to transport the president anywhere in the world. The aircraft is equipped with modern communications equipment that, in the event of an attack on the United States, also allows it to function as a mobile command center. The onboard electronics are protected from any electromagnetic impulses.
Kenneth Walsh, author of Air Force One: A History of Presidents and Their Planes, said that “What we do know is that Air Force One has a skin on it designed to ward off electromagnetic pulses if there was a nuclear war.”
Walsh believes that the current aircraft has the ability to deal with heat-seeking missiles, which pose a threat during takeoff and landing.
“Beyond that, the military doesn’t like to talk about it. We all suspect, in the press corps, that there’s a lot more protective systems there, but they’re kept very, very secret,” Walsh says.
Inside Air Force One, the president and his assistants have 4,000 square feet of space on three levels. At the president’s disposal is an extensive suite, inside of which there is a large office, a conference room, and a toilet.
In addition, the plane includes two kitchens with a capacity of up to 100 people, and a medical suite in which the doctor, if necessary, can perform complex operations. Air Force One also has facilities for senior presidential advisors, journalists, secret service agents, and other escorts.
As a rule, during long-haul flights several cargo planes fly ahead of Air Force One to provide the president and staff with food and services.
In 1944 the Airlift Group was established as part of the White House Military Office at the direction of President Roosevelt. This group operates and is responsible for the maintenance of the Air Force One.
For the next 15 years, Roosevelt flew on various propeller aircraft. President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to use the VC-137A, a Boeing 707 Stratoliner, during a flight to Europe in August 1959.
The first president to fly in a jet modified Boeing 707 Stratoliner was John F. Kennedy in October 1962. Over the following decades, several other jet aircraft were used. Since 1990, the presidential fleet has consisted of two Boeing VC-25As, a military version of the Boeing 747.
By 2024, the United States Air Force plans to replace the aging aircraft, which have been in service since the administration of President George H. W. Bush in 1990. The new Air Force One will be a modified Boeing 747-8.
The Air Force described the new aircraft in a statement:
“Though modification specifics are not fully discussed due to operational security, expected updates include electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, executive interior, a self-defense system and self-sufficient ground operations.
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“The VC-25B, which will function as an airborne White House to allow the Commander in Chief to execute constitutional responsibilities while in transit, will also use the highest level of command and control military capabilities to maintain national security for all possible national contingencies or emergencies.”